Huawei Top Ten Data Center Trends

With the release of the Top Ten in the Data Center by Huawei, industry leaders in this field will be able to help guests, media contributors, and operators share knowledge, discuss trends, and improve the development.

Digitalization continues to gain momentum in different industries, progressing to online education, live streaming, and telecommuting. Various industries are undergoing accelerated digital transformation, and data centers not only form the foundation of this transition, they also offer new development opportunities.

1. Data Centre “Zero Carbon”
Carbon neutrality has sparked a global green revolution considering global warming is the most pressing problem on the planet. In the future, data centers will rely on wind and solar power as they increase their energy efficiency.

There will be more emphasis placed maximizing resource savings throughout the lifecycle of data centers, such as saving energy, water, and materials, and reducing footprint. In order to reduce energy consumption, large data centers are currently using thermal energy recovery. The zero-carbon vision is becoming a reality as data centers enter the era of 1.0x efficiency.

2.High Density
Computer processing power and density will continue to increase over the next five years, with processors becoming more powerful as well. At the same time, AI’s computing power will increase as more applications are developed.

As a result, data centers will seek on increasing their density in order to strike a balance between cost and efficiency. Cloud data centers will most likely combine various computing powers by 2025, and most will have hybrid cabinet configurations of 15 to 30 kW.

3. Scalability
A Ddta center infrastructure typically lasts for 10 to 15 years, and its power density is almost doubled every five years. IT equipment typically has a lifecycle of three to five years, and its power density almost doubles every five years.

The systems must support flexible architectures and phased rollouts. They also need to deliver increasing power by meeting the needs of two to three generations of computing devices while allowing for a manageable level of capital expenditure.

Furthermore, to be able to expand capacity accordingly and save space, data centers must be flexible and capable of supporting hybrid deployment of computing devices with high power densities.

4.Rapid Deployment
Rapid expansion of Internet services has necessitated the rapid deployment of data centers. In order for cloud applications to fulfill diverse application demands, data centers must be deployed just as quickly as the cloud itself. The time to deploy data centers will reduce from 12 months to nine or six months and even three months.

5.Simple Architecture
The cost of building a conventional data center is high, and it requires a large initial investment. In order to address these drawbacks, simplified architectures will become the norm for both system and data center architectures. Electrical and cooling systems will be converged into one system.

Modular and prefabricated data centers have several advantages: rapid deployment, flexibility in expansion, ease of operation and maintenance, and efficiency in energy savings.

6. Lithium for all
Data centers traditionally rely on large, heavy and complex power supply systems that can be cumbersome and difficult to maintain, making them prone to accidents (including fires). The lithium-for-all trend is slowly replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries.

In the near future, all data centers will be equipped with lithium batteries, which are becoming more affordable. Lithium batteries work twice as long, have better visibility, and have a footprint one-third that of lead-acid batteries. A lithium battery is equipped with a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) accumulator as well as a three-level BMS (intelligent battery management system).

7. Air inlet and water outlet
Increasing energy efficiency, the need for carbon neutrality and a complex operation and maintenance model for data centers will require replacing the chilled water within these systems. In the near future, cooling systems that consume fewer or no water will be commonplace.

A modular indirect evaporative cooling system adopts a low-deployment design along with an integrated design that simplifies the process of operation and maintenance. In addition, it uses natural cooling to significantly reduce its energy consumption.

8. Scan Complete
Digital and communication technologies have become more widely used by data centers in support of their operations, construction, and maintenance. Numerical modeling is used more often during the lifecycle of these facilities for planning, construction, and operation and maintenance. This approach will guarantee an excellent experience throughout the lifecycle by making facilities easier to manage and control, and making them more visible.

9. Applications of AI
Data centers will eventually be able to gradually augment their robotic operations with AI-based autonomous management systems as the continuous advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies continues. Instead of relying solely on AI that specializes in a single area (like operations and maintenance, energy saving, and operations), data centers will increasingly turn to holistic digitization of the whole lifecycle.

AI-powered autonomous systems support a number of tasks including: planning; construction; operations; maintenance and optimization; optimization of energy efficiency and real-time adjustment of parameters; 24/7 maintenance, verification, and predictive maintenance; using AI; online simulation; and automated service design.

10. Safety and reliability
As data center infrastructures grow smarter, there is an increased threat to network security. It is essential that data centers have the capability of predictive maintenance of systems, components, and hardware. There are six characteristics of a data center: reliability of hardware, software security, system resiliency, security, privacy, and continuous Internet access. Hierarchical protection methods increase data center security and reliability.

Huawei is at the forefront of innovation in energy products and technologies, as well as building an open, collaborative and benefiting industrial ecosystem with industry customers, partners, and third parties. In the long term, Huawei will continue to apply the concept of green and sustainable development, thereby helping the planet to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality.